A Place of Refuge Interview

How exciting to have Kathleen O'Bryan from A PLACE OF REFUGE written by Janet Lee Bartona September 2013release from Love Inspired Romance .

1. Kathleen, tell me the most interesting thing about you.

I'm not sure there's all that much interesting about me. I'm an immigrant from Ireland and I lived with my sister and her husband until recently. Now I want to do all I can to help her and her boys out of the tenements and on to a better life.

2. What do you do for fun?

Before moving to Heaton House, the only fun I had was taking my nephews to Central Park. Life hasn't been much fun up until now. But I love living here and I've gone on several outings with the other boarders--to Ladies Mile, on picnics and even to Coney Island. That's all been a lot of fun. And I love spending time with the boarders. I feel like they are part of my family now. Well, all except for Luke. He's . . . special. I've never had a man friend like him before. He came to my aide in the park last year when my brother-in-law was threatening me. And he was here the night I was brought to Heaton House beaten and . . . he'll always be special to me.

3. What do you put off doing because you dread it?

Going back to the tenements. I'm afraid I might see my sister bruised like I was. I'd love to have her out of there so none of us have to go back.

4. What are you afraid of most in life?

That my brother-in-law will hurt my sister or the boys now that I'm not there to protect them.

5. What do you want out of life?

I want to get my sister and nephews out of the tenements so that we can all have a chance to have a good life, one where we don't have to worry where our next meal comes from. And I want my sister to be able to know people like Mrs. Heaton who has been so kind to me.

6. What is the most important thing to you?

My faith and my family.

7. If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?

I don't know. The Lord made me the way I am, and He must have had a reason for doing so. Who am I to second guess him? I suppose I'd like to have more patience and not jump to conclusions so quickly. Maybe not find it so hard to trust others.

8. Do you have a pet? If so, what is it and why that pet?

I don't have a pet. It's been all we could do to take care of ourselves since we came to America. No need making a pet suffer along with us. Maybe someday my nephews will be able to have a pet.

9. Can you tell us a little interesting tidbit about the time period you live in?

Oh, my, it's a time of much change. Especially for women. So many are entering the workforce and there are all kinds of jobs for them. Why, Mrs. Heaton's daughter-in-law works at Butterick and Julia works at Ellis Island. Elizabeth works at the Delineator magazine and Millicent is a photographer who wants to open her own business. Mrs. Heaton says we all have so many more choices on what to do than women did when she was our age. Women don't have to depend on a man to take care of them--they don't have to settle for anything but love now. And after watching the way my brother-in-law had treated my sister--I don't think I'd ever be able to trust my heart to any man. Well maybe one. I believe Luke is the kind of man one could trust . . . but he'd never think of me that way . . . no matter how much I might wish he did.